KITCHENER — Coun. Frank Etherington wants more money put into a program that helps low-income families pay the fees for city recreation programs.

Etherington said the Leisure Access Program helped 1,754 people so far this year, and it is underfunded as the city relies on corporate philanthropy to meet the demand.

“We were short about $35,000 last year,” Etherington said.

City staff budgeted $107,100 for the program in 2013, the same amount as this year, even though that was inadequate. Summer camps, summer playgrounds, learn-to-swim and other aquatic programs appear to be the most in demand for people getting help.

The extra $35,000 that was needed this year came from the Canadian Tire Jump Start Foundation, but Etherington said that money can be easily found in a fund that is earmarked for buying new equipment for the home offices of city councillors. “There is about $36,000 in unused cash that is budgeted to buy councillors things like digital cameras, cellphones, computers, and other items for our home offices,” he said.

City councillors and elected officials received new home-office technology after they were elected in 2010. The city budgets $5,300 for every member of city council that can be used during their four-year term to buy home-office technology.

Etherington said that pool of money is never entirely used and there is currently about $36,000 in it.

“I figure we can use that money,” Etherington said. “Most of the fees (for recreation programs) are going up three per cent, and that will make it worse for people who are dropping behind. We have to be more generous with those subsidies.”

Increasing fees by an average of three per cent, but freezing the program for helping low-income people pay the fees, is simply wrong, he said. “In my opinion it is a miserly amount the city puts aside to help low-income adults and disadvantaged kids enjoy recreation programs.”

A public meeting on the proposed 2013 budget is scheduled for Jan. 7 in the council chambers at City Hall. Final approval for next year’s budget is set for Jan. 17.

To qualify for the leisure card access program, individuals or families must have incomes less than the low-income cutoff established by Statistics Canada. That cutoff is about $27,000 for a family of two in Waterloo Region.

Children who qualify receive $248 a year, or $62 per session for the winter, spring, summer and fall recreation offerings. Adults who qualify for a card receive $212 per year in help with registration fees.